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Van Gaal delivers updates on five injured players

United face Chelsea on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, and manager Van Gaal confirmed that one of his injured squad could return for the clash at the weekend.

“There is some light at the end of the tunnel, I think,” the manager told MUTV at the Aon Training Complex on Friday afternoon. “[Phil] Jones is coming back. He has trained today [Friday] with the first team so that’s good.

Jones suffered an ankle injury in early-January, and though his imminent recovery will provide a boost to the Dutchman, Van Gaal has also been lifted with news of long-term injury absentees Marcos Rojo (shoulder), Luke Shaw (leg) and Antonio Valencia (ankle).

“Rojo is doing well,” Van Gaal said. “It’s not that he can train with us but, still, he is doing well. Shaw is doing well and Valencia is doing well so it’s not bad.”

On Shaw, Van Gaal added: “He can play in the Europa League final, I have said that to him. That gives him spirit and a goal that he has to live for and it is not impossible, in my opinion it is not impossible.”

The manager confirmed some less positive news on midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, the German missing since the FA Cup tie with Sheffield United with a knee injury.